Core for journal lubricator



July 1957 R. J.'HARKENRIDER 2,798,776

CORE FOR JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed Oct. 13. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1JNVENTOR.

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y 9, 1957 R. J. HARKENRIDER 2,798,776

CORE FOR JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed Oct. 13, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V ENTOR.

U ited States. Patent 2,793,776 j j CORE FOR JOURNAL LUBRICATORApplication October 13, 1954,.Serial No. 462,088-

6 Claims. or. 308-443) The present invention relates to a core forjournal lubricators, and more particularly, a core for a journal boxpacking assembly of the type disclosed in several of my copendingapplications, for instance, applications Serial Number 345,552, filedMarch 30, 1953, which matured into Patent No. 2,747,952 on May 29, 1956,and Serial Number 367,321, filed July 10, 1953, which matured intoPatent No. 2,762,667 on September 11, 1956.

It is highly important in the operation of railway cars that asufiicient quantity of lubricant at all times be supplied to thejournal. In the past it has been common practice to pack the journal boxwith waste and provide a quantity of oil in the bottom of the journalbox from which oil is lifted to the journal by capillary action. Whilewaste in itself has been generally accepted as a satisfactory lubricatorfor railway car journal boxes, it has been found that the human elementinvolved in the servicing of journal boxes has resulted in an excessivenumber of hot boxes. That is, the excessive number of hot boxes has beenfound to be caused largely due to the lack of, or hurried, or improper,servicing of journal boxes; not infrequently hot boxes have resultedwhen inexperienced men are assigned to oil and reset the packmg.

In my above-identified copending applications, I disclose a journal boxpacking in the form of a package which may be readily installed in thejournal box in proper relation to the journal and the oil cellar by eventhe most inexperienced, and which requires a minimum of servicing. Eachpackage includes a loop of fabric or the like as a carrier, a layer ofwaste or yarn on the outside or both the outside andinside of thecarrier, having threads interlaced with or through the carrier and madefast to it, and a resilient core within the carrier distending it andfurnishing, with the aid of springs, if so desired, the appropriatepressure for applying the waste to the journal.

The present invention relates to an improved core for use with thecarrier and layer or layers of waste to form the lubricator packagedescribed in my aforementioned applications.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a core for ajournal lubricator package which is oil resistant, and which issufliciently resilient to constantly maintain the blanket or layer ofwaste surrounding the package in firm engagement with the journal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a core for a journallubricator which is sufficiently stiff to resist forces tending to bendthe lubricator about its middle, thus providing a lubricator which tendsto maintain itself in position within the journal box once it has beencorrectly inserted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a core having a noveltype of distending spring or springs and wherein novel means areprovided for securing the springs within the core.

According to one embodiment of the invention I pro- 2,798,776 PatentedJuly 9, 1957 ing a plurality of lengthwise layers of resilient materialbonded together, with the respective layers being separated from eachother by a sheet or strip of relatively inflexible material, such ascloth impregnated with Hycar latex or phenolicresins. Each of thelayerscomprises a resilientbody which may be of resilient. fibers, suchas fiber glass yarn or natural hair, interlaced in a resilientwool-likemass, with individual layers having been dipped in Hycar latexor phenolic resins to bind the individual fibers together and to makethem oil resistant. The entire assembly is cored out from its upper andlower sides and a double conical spring is inserted; core plugs arepositioned within the cores and are bonded in place to hold the springsin position. a

It will be appreciated that the presentinvention has certain inherentadvantages. For instance, a pad assembly or lubricator package includingthe herein disclosed resilientcore has excellent resiliency in avertical direction which insures that the Waste blanket will always beproperly applied against the journal, and'yet it is resistant tocompression in a horizontal direction. Furthermore, it does not yieldreadily to forces which tend to bend the pad assembly or lubricatorpackage about its longitudinal center line, thus preventing displacementof the pad assembly when once positioned in the journal box. i

In addition to the foregoing, it is an object of the present. inventionto provide a resilient core of the character defined which is economicalof manufacture, convenient in use, and capable of ready incorporation inlubricator packages, for instance, of the type disclosed in myaforementioned copending applications.

Other objects and advantages of the. present invention will becomeapparent as the disclosure of a preferred embodiment is read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a cross section through a journal box and an axle. journalequipped with a lubricator package including the resilient core of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the journal boxand packingshown in Figure 1, along the axis of the axle; a

Figure 3 is a vertical section through one of the double conical springsof the core, showing only the core body;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, with the lower half of the corebeing broken away and with the illustrated core plug partially removed,and

Figure 5 is an attempt to illustrate the manner in which the individualfibers of the core are bonded together.

In Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 10indicates a conventional journalbox on a conventional axle journal 11 with a package of packinggenerally indicated at 12 in place between the lower portion of the axlejournal and the. bottom of the journal box in what. is commonly referredto as the oil cellar of the journal box. As disclosed in myaforementioned applications, the disclosures of which are incorporatedherein by reference in the interests of brevity, one way of making thepackage of packing includes forming a rectangular blank of laminatedwaste blanket into a loop 13 with its end portions brought together andsecured to one side of a loop of canvas or the like 15 by stitching orcementing, or both. The waste blanket may be treated with an adhesive 16to fasten the waste threads to the underside of the blanket and to forma pan or basin for a reservoir of lubricating oil, substantially asdescribed in my aforesaid application Serial No. 367,321. r v

-The resulting subassembly oroil applicator is thus prepared to receivea resilient core 18, such as the core Yide a resilient core of generallyelliptical shape compriscomprising the present invention, by which theblanket a material is distended and held in its place between the axlejournal and the journal box.

In Figure 3 a resilient core 18 of elliptical form is illustrated, whichis very satisfactory for making a reversible packing package that may beused first with the side shown uppermost in Figure 1 against the axlejournal, and later reversed to bring the other side against the axlejournal.

After inserting the core 18, the end portions of the strap 15 may befolded as indicated in Figure 2 and fastened together at 19by stitching,or the like, which closes the strip on the resilient core and forms ahandle 20 for the package.

It is to be understood, however, that Figures 1 and 2 are provided forillustrative purposes only, and the use of the resilient core 16 is notlimited to the package diagrammatically illustrated therein.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 3, 4, and

- the resilient core 18 comprising the present invention is made up of aseries of flat pads or layers 22. Each pad or layer has inherentresiliency and may be composed of a plurality of resilient fibers 24interlaced in a resilient wool-like mass. Fibrous material such as glassfiber yarn or curled natural hair is satisfactory for this purpose.Preferably, each pad is dipped in Hycar latex or a phenolic resin tobond the individual fibers together and to make them oil resistant. Suchbonding is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 5 wherein fibers 24are joined together at 26 by drops of the latex or resin. The joiningtogether of the individual fibers is important as it fixes theindividual fibers to the core, insures that the distribution of thefibers will remain equal throughout the individual layers 22 during thelife thereof and there fore insures that the resiliency of each layerwill be substantially uniform through the respective layers.

The individual layers 22 are separated'by and respectively bonded tosheets or strips 28 of relatively stiff fabric. The sheets or strips 28may take the form of a cloth of a suitable grade impregnated with Hycarlatex or phenolic resins, with the individual layers 22 bonded to thesheets or strips by similar or equivalent substances. After the pads aresecured to the sheets or strips 28, the core may be trimmed to theelliptical form shown in Figure 3.

The pad assembly comprising the core 18 is cored out at the upper andlower sides thereof, as at 30, and a. double conical spring 32 isinserted. Plugs 34, which may be the portions of the core 18 removed toposition the spring 32 within the pad assembly 18 as shown in Figure 4,or may be bodies of fibrous material 36, similar in composition to theindividual layers 22 but not laminated, as shown in Figure 3, areinserted and bonded in place with either Hycar latex or phenolic resins.Preferably the bonded position of plugs 34 is such that the outersurface thereof merges smoothly into the surrounding surface of the core18.

When a package embodying the resilient core of the present invention isput to use, the package is compressed and inserted lengthwise under thejournal in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The superposed layersof fibrous material in the core act to distend the blanket 13,particularly where needed most, that is, upwardly and downwardly (in theposition shown in Figures 1 and 2), thereby constantly urging theapplicator surface of the blanket against the lower surface of thejournal. It has been found that the degree of resiliency of the core inthe vertical plane is such that it is impossible for the applicatorsurface of the blanket 13 to lose contact with the journal due to suchfactors as sag or lifting of the journal with respect to the oil cellar.The relatively stiff sheets or strips 28 provide a horizontalstrengthening factor which prevents bending of the core about itsmiddle. This factor insures that once the package is positioned as shownin Figures land 2, the package will resist sidewise forces which tend todouble it up in the middle and would tend to work it up into the upperportion of the journal boxes and out of contact with the oil in the oilcellar. The heretofore described manner of securing the springs 32within the core insures that the springs move with the core body and notagainst it or apart from it thereby preventing deterioration of thefibrous material adjacent the spring and consequent lessening of thedistending action of the lubricator core.

It will be observed that the resilient core of this invention issymmetrical in form and is adapted to be reversed; i. e., after one sideof the lubricator has been used in contact with the journal bearing, theentire lubricator may be removed and turned upside down for applicationof the other side to the hearing.

The double conical springs 32 are employed in place of cylindricalsprings for the reason that they permit the core to be more readilycompressed to a small dimension for ready insertion into, and removalfrom, their operative position within the journal box. The fibrous padmaterial 22 is sufiiciently yieldable to permit the double conicalsprings to be inserted from either side of the cored out portion withoutdifficulty. Preferably, the double conical springs are made of phosphorbronze, so that there is no opportunity for the journal to be scored inthe event of breakage of a spring or the penetration of a spring througha blanket which has been worn thin. Preferably, the wire diameter forthesprings 32 is approximately sixty thousandths of an inch.

The resilient fibrous material constituting the pads 22 may be ofnatural hair, such as pig bristles, horsehair, or the like, and aproduct known as Hairflex, manufactured by Armour & Company of Chicago,Illinois, is satisfactory. The pads may also be made of glass fibers,and a product known in the trade as Swirl Mat Glass, manufactured byOwens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. of Toledo, Ohio, would be one satisfactorytype of this kind of material.

The sheets or strips 28 may be eight-ounce duck, heavy cotton presscloth, burlap, or the like.

The Hycar latex into which the layers or pads 22 are dipped refers to asynthetic rubber made from petroleum by B. F. Goodrich Company under thetrade name Hycar. The same latex may be used to secure the layers orpads 22 to the sheets or strips 28.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explainand illustrate my invention, and the invention is not to be limitedthereto, except in so far as the appended claims are so limited sincethose skilled in the art who may have my disclosure before them will beable to make modifications and variations therein without departing fromthe scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a lubricator for a car journal adapted to be mounted in a journalbox and rest upon the floor of the oil cellar therein, the combinationof a resilient core and an oil absorbent material mounted on the topside of the core and adapted to be resiliently pressed into contact withthe car journal by said resilient core, said resilient core comprising abody of resilient fibers interlaced in a wool-like mass, with theindividual fibers being bonded together, at least one layer ofrelatively inflexible material extending lengthwise of the body, and atleast one double conical spring extending transversely of the body andurging the core toward distended position.

2. In a lubricator for a car journal adapted to be mounted in a journalbox and rest upon the floor of the oil cellar therein, the combinationof a resilient core and an oil absorbent material mounted on the topside of the core and adapted to be resiliently pressed into contact withthe car journal by said resilient core, said resilient core comprising aplurality of lengthwise layers bonded together, each layer composedmainly of glass fibers interlaced in a resilient wool-like mass, aplurality of sheets of relatively inflexible material bonding saidlayers together, and at least one double conical spring extendingtransversely of the core and urging the core toward distended position.

3. In a lubricator for a car journal adapted to be mounted in a journalbox and rest upon the floor of the oil cellar therein, the combinationof a resilient core and an oil absorbent material mounted on the topside of the core and adapted to be resiliently pressed into contact withthe car journal by said resilient core, said resilient core comprising aplurality of lengthwise layers bonded together, each layer comprising abody of resilient fibers interlaced in a Wool-like mass, with theindividual fibers being bonded together, a sheet of relativelyinflexible material separating each of said layers, a series of doubleconical helical springs extending transversely of the core and urgingthe core toward distended position, and a fibrous plug positioned withineach of said springs and bonded to said core.

4. A journal box packing, comprising, in combination, a resilient coreencircled by a flexible envelope, said core comprising a plurality oflengthwise layers bonded together, each of said layers being composedmainly of resilient fibers interlaced in a wool-like mass, and at leastone relatively inflexible sheet extending lengthwise through said core.

5. A core for a journal box packing, comprising a plurality of layers ofresilient fibers, with the fibers of each layer being interlaced in awool-like mass, said layers being separated by and respectively bondedto relatively inflexible strips, said core having a generally ohlongtransverse cross sectional configuration and said strips extendinggenerally parallel to the major axis thereof.

6. In a lubricator for a car journal adapted to be mounted in a journalbox and rest upon the floor of the oil cellar therein, the combinationof a resilient core and an oil absorbent material mounted on the topside of the core and adapted to be resiliently pressed into contact withthe car journal by said resilient core, said core comprising a pluralityof superposed layers of resilient material bonded together with at leastsome of said layers being interspersed with relatively stiff sheetsextending lengthwise through the core and substantially the entire widthof the core, whereby the core when in operative position beneath the carjournal is resistive to lateral creepage along the floor of the box andupwardly along the side of the journal due to the stiffness afforded tothe core by said relatively stiff sheets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 91,000Devlan June 8, 1869 228,337 Flynt June 1, 1880 590,328 Muller Sept. 21,1897 1,810,443 Steurs June 16, 1921 2,115,457 Cunningham et a1. Apr. 26,1938 2,565,941 Barnard Aug. 28, 1951 2,600,843 Bush June 17, 19522,657,959 Sockwell Nov. 3, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Perfect JournalLubrication, June 1, 1937, published by Lubrication Products Co.

